Rowan County Extension Master Gardener Association

08/20/2026

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Hey North Carolina! 📣 Want to attend a free event to do your ?

Check out this list of public events happening across during the Great Southeast Pollinator Census (Friday, 8/21 and Saturday, 8/22) in 2026!

Visit the URL below to see which is closest to you and learn more information.

📍 go.ncsu.edu/gsepc-nc-map-2026

(OR maps.app.goo.gl/8FHiyBkB5Yqw9hPq6)

Happy counting! 🐝🦋🌸

08/20/2026

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This weekend we're learning about vegetable gardens! Call by 3pm tomorrow to reserve your spot!

08/17/2026

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Gardening in the NC mountains? 🌄 Here's an example of the excellent educational programming brought to you by NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers!

The Gawkers to Gardeners webinar is the next learning opportunity in the "Gardening in the Mountains" series hosted by the Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers of Buncombe County.

Learn how gardening can lead to meaningful conservation about !

🌱 The Gawkers to Gardeners webinar
🗓 Thursday, August 20, 2026
⏰ 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
🔗 FREE to attend via Zoom; register now ➡️ go.ncsu.edu/gawkers-to-gardeners

(OR eventbrite.com/e/gardening-in-the-mountains-gawkers-to-gardeners-tickets-1996304959874)

Drake Fowler, Executive Director of the North Carolina Arboretum, will share how the North Carolina Arboretum uses creativity and engagement to spark interest in gardening.


NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Buncombe County
The North Carolina Arboretum

08/17/2026

Despite its heavenly name—Ailanthus meaning “tree reaching for the sky”—Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) can be a garden nightmare. It grows at breakneck speed: young trees can shoot up 3–6 feet in a single growing season, quickly overtaking disturbed areas and crowding out native plants.

Tree-of-Heaven also practices a form of chemical warfare. Its roots and other tissues produce ailanthone, a compound that can inhibit the growth of neighboring plants—a phenomenon known as allelopathy. And it is a prolific reproducer: a mature female tree can produce hundreds of thousands of winged seeds each year, allowing it to spread rapidly.

Tough and adaptable, Tree-of-Heaven thrives in poor soils, along roadsides, and in other disturbed areas where many plants struggle. Adding to its invasive reputation, it is a favored host of the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Because of this association, identifying and managing Tree-of-Heaven can play an important role in monitoring and controlling spotted lanternfly populations.